The film received a lukewarm result at the box office, but has subsequently become a cult film. When Twilight Time released the film on Blu-ray in the United States in the 2013, it was quickly sold out.[3][4][5]

Contents

Jake Scully (Craig Wasson) is a struggling actor who has lost his role as a vampire in a low-budget horror movie after his claustrophobia thwarts shooting. After returning home to discover his girlfriend (Barbara Crampton) cheating on him, he splits and is left without a place to stay (the residence belongs to her). At a method acting class he meets Sam (Gregg Henry) who closely monitors Scully's revelation of his fears and the childhood cause of his claustrophobia. They go to a bar where Scully is offered a place to stay; Sam's rich friend has gone on a trip to Europe and needs a house-sitter for his ultra-modern home in the Hollywood Hills.

During the tour of the house with Scully, Sam is especially enthusiastic about showing Scully one feature: a telescope, and through it a female neighbor, Gloria Revelle (Deborah Shelton), who erotically dances at a specific time each night. Scully voyeuristically watches Gloria each night until he sees her being abused by a man she appears to know. The next day he follows her when she goes shopping. Gloria makes calls to an unknown person promising to meet them. Scully also notices a disfigured "Indian," a man he had noticed was watching Gloria a few days prior. Scully follows her to a seaside motel where apparently Gloria has been stood up by the person she was there to meet. On the beach the Indian suddenly snatches her purse. Scully pursues him into a nearby tunnel but is overcome by his claustrophobia. Gloria walks him out of it. They impulsively and passionately kiss before she retreats. That night Scully is again watching through the telescope when the Indian returns and breaks into Gloria's home. Scully races to save her but is attacked by Gloria's vicious dog. Gloria is brutally murdered by the Indian with a huge handheld drill.

Scully alerts the police, who determine it was a botched robbery. Detective McLean (Guy Boyd), however, becomes suspicious after finding a pair of Gloria's panties in Scully's pocket. Although McLean does not arrest him, he tells Scully that his voyeuristic behavior, as well as not alerting the police sooner, helped cause Gloria's murder. Unable to sleep, Scully watches a pornography TV channel. He observes that the actress, Holly Body (Melanie Griffith), dances in exactly the same sensual manner that Gloria did. To meet Holly, he pretends to be a porn producer hiring for a new film.

Scully learns from Holly that Sam hired her to impersonate Gloria each night, dancing in the window, knowing Scully would be watching and later witness the real Gloria's murder. Holly, offended at the suggestion she was involved in a killing, storms out of the house. She is picked up by the Indian who knocks her unconscious and drives her away. Scully follows them to an aqueduct where the Indian is digging a grave. During their fight, Scully discovers the Indian is Sam in heavy make-up. Scully was a scapegoat providing Sam, who was Gloria's abusive boyfriend, with an alibi during the murder. Scully is overpowered and thrown into the grave and is incapacitated by his claustrophobia. However, he overcomes his fear and climbs out as Sam is knocked into the aqueduct and drowned.

During the end credits, Scully is shown having been recast in his previous vampire role as Holly watches from the sidelines.

Director Brian De Palma originally considered Annette Haven to play the lead female role that eventually went to Griffith. Before filming he commented, "I'm already thinking of casting. I don't know if there're any good young porno stars out here, but the older ones - Annette Haven, Seka - some of them can really act. And Annette Haven has a terrific body."[6]

The movie was largely dismissed by some critics upon release and even denounced outright by others.

However, Roger Ebert praised the movie giving it three and a half out of four stars.[12] The film developed a cult following, perhaps due to its directorial and aesthetic indulgences, its early 1980s new wave soundtrack, and the use of iconic Los Angeles locations.[citation needed]

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 78% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 32 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10.[13]